Pouncing machine and method of pouncing



June 20, 1939, R SCHULTZE 2,163,383

FOUNCINC- MACHINE AND METHOD OF POUNGING Filed July 29, 1937 34 45 35 36 T E l a a. 37 4/ a vwrf-i 1 42 2T 2 y Q 37 i 5/ 50 4 4 INVENTOR Paul ,Sfihllltze ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POUNCING MACHINE AND METHOD OF POUNCING Inc., Danbnry, Conn.

Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,330

Claims.

This invention relates to a pouncing machine and a method of pouncing, and more particularly to an improvement in the pouncing machines shown in my co-pending applications, Serial No.

5 5,757, filed February 9, 1935, and Serial No.

86,484, filed June 22, 1936.

Among the various methods of pouncing or finishing a felt hat are those which utilize a rotating hat block and a pouncing tool between which relative motion is effected manually or mechanically. The pouncing tool usually has an abrasive surface which cuts off the nap of the hat felt and imparts a smooth relatively napless finish to the hat. Depending on the grade of I. abrasive used and the type of felt in the hat, the finish is relatively smooth or coarse, but in either event the finish imparted to the hat by the machines and methods usually employed, while satisfactory in certain grades of hats, is unsatis- 20 factory in other grades.

'In certain types of hats the felt is formed of closely matted strands of fine fur, such as beaver for example, the loose ends of which form the nap and are cut off by a pouncing operation.

In some methods the cutting is done by a tool moving constantly in one direction against the hat which moves in the opposite direction. In other methods the tool and hat move in the same direction, the tool surface moving much faster 80 than the engaged hat surface. Other methods employ a reciprocating tool to finish the rotating hat, while still other methods use a stationary tool such as a manually operated tool, contacting the rotating hat. In each instance, howas ever, the direction of cut on the fur fiber ends is inclined with respect to the axis of the fiber so as to form a sharp point on each fiber end. This results in a finish which is not as soft or smooth as desired and often necessitates additional op- 4o erations to properly finish the hat.

It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide a sturdy and durable pounclng machine and a practicable method of pouncing well able to impart to a felt hat a finish of 5 desirable smoothness and softness and do so in a thoroughly practical and efficient manner.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and in the several steps 50 and relation and order of each of the same to one or more of the others, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the fol lowing claims.

556 In the accompanying drawing, .in-which is the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the draw- 10 mg.

Referring to Figure 1, my pouncing machine comprises a base I (l in the upper part I I of which is mounted a motor l2 having a driving pulley l3, which drives by means of a belt 54 a pulley l5 attached to one end of a rotatable hat support or spindle I6. Mounted on the end of support I6 is a hat block I! on which may be secured a hat l8. A bracket 19 extends from the lower part of base I!) and pivctally mounts a 20 tool arm 20, which in turn reciprocably supports a pouncing tool 2|, the reciprocating mechanism for which is housed in lower portion 22 of tool support 20 and is driven by motor 23. Hydraulic mechanism generally indicated at 24 pivots tool 25 support 20 about hat I8 by means of a rack and pinion 25, the tool support also being swingable toward and away from hat support I! through the coaction of cam and roller 65. For a more detailed description of the various parts here generally described, reference is made to my copending application Serial No. 86.48%, filed June 22, 1936.

As described in my above-noted co-pending application, hydraulic mechanism 24 causes pivotal movement of pouncing tool 2! about and in contact with hat IS in a path extending from the tip I80. to the brim lab thereof, and thence back over the same path. During this period of contact between the hat and tool, tool 2! is reciprocating quite rapidly while hat !8 is rotating at a relatively low rate of speed. During the relative movement of the tool and the hat, felt is abraded from the hat. That is, the relatively long nap is cut oil the hats surface so to .45 impart a soft and smooth finish thereto. More specifically, this nap comprises many minute fur fiber ends which are cut off by tool 2! at a point close to the body of the hat. Assuming that the hat is rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed ;5 in Figure 1, it should be noted that on the up stroke of tool 2! the tool moves oppositely to the hat movement, whereas on the tools down stroke the tool and hat move in the same direction. The

result of this is a severance of the fiber ends at an angle to the axis of the fibers, causing many minute, sharp points which detract from the smooth, soft finish desired. To attain this desired finish, the fiber ends should be rounded or squared, rather than pointed. To this end I reverse the direction of rotation of hat l8 when tool 2| reaches the forward end, e. g. the brim IBb end of its path of movement. Consequently, as the tool retraces its path (from brim to tip) the hat |8 is rotating oppositely from the direction of its rotation during the tip to brim travel of the tool. Accordingly, the predominating cut of the tool is oppositely directed and cuts ofi, or in effect rounds the previously sharpened or pointed fiber ends, and the desired smooth finish is achieved.

As noted above, tool 2| is pivoted about hat 3 by the hydraulically actuated rack and pinion 25. Rack 25 carries a reversing cam 26, which engages an arm 21 of a bell crank 28 when the tool reaches the end of its forward stroke at hat brim I812. The engagement between cam 26 and bell crank arm 21 causes counter clockwise movement of the bell crank, forcing a rod 29 upwardly against arm 30 of a detent pivoted to a bracket 3| mounted on the top of a reversing valve 32. When detent 3|] is tripped, a spring (not shown) enclosed in reversing valve 32 forces the valve gate (not shown) and its plunger rod 33 upwardly to reverse the direction of flow of oil to hydraulic mechanism 24. As is more fully explained in my above-noted co-pending application, this reversal causes the back-stroke of tool 2|, that is, from hat brim IBZ) to hat tip l8a;

As noted above, it is desirable during the'backstroke of tool 2| over the hat to reverse the rotation of hat I8. Accordingly, I provide a reversing switch generally indicated at 34 which is mechanically operated by valve plunger rod 33.

As is more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, switch 34 is preferably a triple-pole double-throw switch, which is connected by any suitable circuit to motor |2 (Figure 1) which may be a three phase A. C. reversible motor' or a D. C. motor. Switch 34 includes a housing formed by a pair of casings 35 and 3B (Figure 2) between which a block 3'! of insulating material is disposed, the casings and insulating block being held together by suitable nuts and bolts 38 extending therethrough. Extending through and connected to insulating block 31 are terminals 39, and 4|, terminal 39 being a power input terminal and terminals 40 and 4| being power take-off terminals suitably connected to motor I2; Switch 34 being a triple-pole switch, terminals 40 and 4| are provided in triplicate (Figure 3). A resilient contact bar 42 (Figure 2) has one end 42a secured to terminal 39, while the free resilient end 42b of this bar extends through a hole 31a in insulating block 31 to engage resiliently a switch bar 43. Bar 43 is secured to an insulating rocker 44 mounted on a rod 45 in turn rockably mounted (see Figure 3) in journals 46 formed on casing 35. Switch bar 43 has sets of terminals 41 and 55 which are engageable respectively with terminals 40 and 4| depending upon which direction of motor operation is desired, and accordingly upon the direction in which rocker 44 is moved.

A stop 48 is bolted to'rocker 44 and has'ends 48a and 4812 which engage portions of casing 35 on opposite sides of rocker 44 to limit the extent of movement of the rocker, and accordingly prevent bending the ends of switch bar 43.

A bracket 49 is clamped on an end 45a of rocker shaft 45, this clamp also having secured between portions 49a (Figure 2) and 49b thereof, one end of a fiat spring 50, the other end of which is secured as by a clamp 5| to a bracket 52 (Figure 3) secured about valve plunger rod 33. A start- 5 ing lever 53 (Figure 1) when moved to the right depresses valve rod 33 to instigate traversing of tool 2| over hat |8 from tip |8a to brim |8b thereof. At the same time valve rod 33 (Figure 2) depresses spring which turns rocker 44 10 counter-clockwise to engage switch bar contacts 55 with terminals 4|. Power, accordingly, flows through terminal 39, contact bar 42, switch bar 43, contacts 55 and terminals 4| to one side of motor l2, causing operation of the motor in 15 a direction to rotate hat IS in a clockwise direction.

'Upon upward or reversing movement of valve rod 33 upon actuation by cam 26 (Figure 1) spring 50 (Figure 2) is raised to turn rocker 44 in a clockwise direction and causeengagement between contacts 41 and terminals 40. Power accordingly fiows through terminal 39, contact bar 42, switch bar 43, contacts 47 and terminals 40 to the other side of motor 52, thus to operate 25 the motor to rotate hat spindle l6 and hat l8 in a counter-clockwise direction, during which direction of rotation tool 2| is traveling from hat brim IBZ) to hat tip |8a.

When tool 2| reaches the brim end of its travel, valve rod 33 is released to move upwardly as pointed out above to thus reverse the direction of traverse of tool 2| over the hat. It will now appear that the forward and reverse traverse of reciprocating tool 2| over hat it, which rotates :35 clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively, is effected to round or square the fur fiberendsOf the nap on the hat.

My method may be summarized as follows: Hat I8 is rotated in clockwise direction during 5A0 which tool 2| reciprocates and moves over the hat surface in a path from the tip to the brim thereof. Upon the tools reaching the brim end of its travel, I reverse the rotation of hat I8 and at the same time cause the reciprocating tool to M5 retrace its original path of movement. 7

It will accordingly be seen that I have pro vided a machine and a method for pouncing a hat which achieves the objects set forth herein.- above in a thoroughly practical and eificient man- {50 ner and which imparts to the hat a finish of the desired degree of smoothness and softness.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might 1012,55 varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove setforth, or shown in the accompanyingdrawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. a

Iclaim: V

1. The herein described art which consists: in rotating a hat, reciprocably engaging said hat with an abrading tool, moving said reciprocating tool over the surface of said hat in a path extending from the tip to the brim thereof, reversing the rotation of said hat when said tool reaches the brim end of its path of movement over the hat, and reversing the direction of movement of said tool over said path.

2. In a'machine of the nature described,1in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said hat support, a traversing tool including means for traversing it over thesurface of ai'hat mounted on said hat support through a path extending from the tip to the brim of the hat, automatically actuated means for reversing the traversing movement of said tool when it reaches the brim end of its path of movement, and means for reversing the rotation of said hat support only when said tool begins its reverse traversing movement.

3. In a machine of the nature described, in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said hat support, a traversing tool including means for traversing it over the surface of a hat mounted on said hat support through a path extending from the tip to the brim of the hat, automatically actuated means for reversing the traversing movement of said tool when it reaches the brim end of its path of movement, and means for reversing the rotation of said hat support only when said tool begins its reverse traversing movement, said last-mentioned means being operatively connected to and actuated by said automatically actuated means.

4. In a machine of the nature described, in combination, a column, a rotatable hat support mounted on said column, a tool support movably associated with said column, a tool operatively mounted on said tool support, means in said column for effecting relative movement between said supports to effect a traversal of the tool over a hat mounted on the hat support in a path extending from the tip to the brim of the hat, means for reversing the direction of said relative movement at one of its limits, an electric motor for rotating said hat support, and means associated with said second-mentioned means for reversing the direction of operation of said motor upon the reversal of said relative movement.

5. In a machine of the nature described, in combination, a hat support, means for rotating said hat support, a traversing tool for operating on the surface of a hat mounted on said hat support, means for effecting relative movement between said hat support and said tool through a path extending from the tip to the brim of a hat, automatically actuated means for reversing said relative movement when the tool is at the brim end of said path, and means for reversing the rotation of said hat support at the time of the reversal of said relative movement.

PAUL SCHULTZE. 

